About Us

Change (y)our world by travelling

In 2007 Peter Hofman created a platform for adventurists tired of soaking up culture in Magaluf, strolling La Rambla or getting a teint in Cyprus. The world is full of amazing places but we are destined by large tour operators. Sequacious, because mass tourism means affordable prices. Meanwhile all touristic destinations are likewise and it’s difficult to experience local cultures.

The local population doesn’t always share in the enormous revenues. Many hotels are owned by large (Western) European multinationals. In fact, they are in charge of the touristic destinations. Cash flows directly from the Western tourists to the Western investors. Ryce Travel wants to break this spell.

If you travel with Ryce Travel you’re not going on vacation but you’re definitely travelling. You’ll experience local cultures, you’ll see amazing and undiscovered places and your expenses will stimulate local economies. I have tried to catch this in one sentence: “The world is ours but we also belong to the world. If you don’t understand the world, you don’t know who you are”.

“The world is ours but we also belong to the world. If you don’t understand the world, you don’t know who you are”, Peter Hofman, founder of Ryce Travel

Our Team

Peter Hofman

Founder & Director

Peter Hofman is the founder and director of Ryce Travel. Providing 'once in a lifetime' experiences is his main goal. He has worked as a snowboard instructor in Austria, climate change researcher in Seattle, camper van relocator in Australia, contract manager in France and tour guide in Kyrgyzstan.

Aleksey Balybin

Guide & Ski Instructor

Aleksey Balybin is one of the best skiers of Kyrgyzstan. He regularly participates in (international) competitions. After finishing his Guiding School in Karakol he started to work as a ski instructor during the winter. In the summer he's a well-known mountain guide in the Tien Shan mountain Range. We are very happy that he helps us guiding and instructing.

Akay Ryspaev

Horse Guide

Akay Ryspaev is our horse guide in Kyrgyzstan. After finishing his study at KGUSTA school (in Communication) he started working with Ryce Travel. He has started his company Horserider Kyrgyzstan and we are very happy that he still guides our tours in Kyrgyzstan

Ruslan Asanaliyev

Manager Almaty

Ruslan Asanaliyev is the manager of our operations in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He is guiding tours to every corner of Kazakhstan and since 4 years he is working passionately for Ryce Travel. He was born in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan but he is settled now in the biggest city of Kazakhstan.

Lauren Tamboryn

Content Manager

Lauren is our Flemish polyglot. After several seasons in the French Alps she has started to create content for Ryce Travel. Her detailed knowledge about other languages and cultures is extremely helpful for us. But above all she is such a sweet person.

Ruslon Belyi

Photographer & Editor

Ruslon Belyi is our local photographer in Central Asia. He has made amazing photos and videos during our tours. We are very happy to have him in our crew and he's a great help in promoting Ryce Travel in all countries of the world.

Maksat Aitkulov

Manager Karakol

Maksat Aitkulov is the manager of the Ryce Travel dependance in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan. Together with Peter Hofman he has started Ryce Travel in Kyrgyzstan from scratch. It started with a ski rental shop but it emerged quickly to a tour agency. Maksat finished his 'Guiding School' in Karakol and he is a very experienced mountain guide. Most trips in Kyrgyzstan will be guided by him too.

Jorrian Hop

Secretary

Jorrian Hop is the secretary of Ryce Travel. He has travelled extensively the last couple of years and he is a great addition to Ryce Travel. Supporting local economies by providing tools and knowledge is his main goal.

Ferda van Vaals

Rock in (the) branding

Ferda van Vaals makes photos and videos and tries to improve processes and the customer journey. She has lived in Indonesia and Malta. She's the happiest however by spending time in the mountains.

Raimon Loman

Head of Operations

Raimon is the COO of Ryce Travel and commercial expert. He has started businesses in South Africa and the Netherlands and travelled to exotic places in the Indian Ocean, South America and Asia. After a complex dislocated shoulder, he unfortunately lost his interest in skiing slightly.

Wim Hofman

Head of Finance

Wim is our experienced safe guard. He is taking care of our budget and finances. There will be no expenses without his approval. This makes it transparent for both our customers and ourselves. Wim is also responsible for local initiatives to gain more awareness of our projects.

Bardh Sanaja

Guide Kosovo/Macedonia

Bardh is very passionate about wildlife preservation in the entire Balkan region. He is working for ERA and he has published many articles. In Winter he is our multi tasking guide for tours in Kosovo and Macedonia. Peje is his hometown.

What Customers Say

The Try-Out to Kyrgyzstan was the first trip and definitely not the last with Ryce Travel. What an amazing trip and smooth organization. See you guys next year in Kazachstan!